The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman
Family Foundation
andAll-Creatures.Org

Letters and Responses

Letter From Shar About Animals Living in Heaven - October 27, 2008

Hello,

I have been reading your sermons and blog, and it seems you know what you're
talking about, so I want to ask you a question.

I have been talking to some Jehovah's Witnesses about whether animals' souls
live forever, the way ours do. They seem convinced that there are animals in
heaven, but that they continue to die while humans live eternally. I showed them
the Bible verse that says 'death will be abolished' but they insist this means
only human death. They say God made animals for a different reason than humans,
and that's why they continue to die. They also say animals died even in Eden.

So now I'm very confused. If my beagle, Sasha, makes it to heaven, will he
just die anyway? Are all the animals who are suffering just going to end up
dying twice? Why should I love a God who's going to take Sasha away from me?

Please answer truthfully.

Shar

Reply from Frank and Mary Hoffman

Dear Shar:

Thank you very much for your words of encouragement about our web site,
and for your question.

Please don't be confused. The Bible makes no distinction between humans and
other creatures about there being no death in heaven. There is no death or
mourning (Revelation 21:4), which should prove to you that there is no death for
animals, for if you and Sasha were both in heaven and Sasha died again, you
would also mourn for her.

God created both humans and other animals as living souls, which is our
mutual physical and spiritual existence. What befalls one, befalls the other.
The only difference is that humans were also created in the image of God (a
spiritual image, since God is spirit).